In Democratic Individuality, I argued that at a high level of abstraction, modern conservatives, liberals and radicals believe that the best economic, social and political institutions foster each person’s individuality. Their differences are largely empirical or social theoretical. All clash with modern authoritarians. I will take up practical issues such as torture and the lineage of the neocons and link them to larger issues in how we conceive a decent regime, locally and internationally.

About Me

I am John Evans professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and author of Marx's Politics:Communists and Citizens (Rutgers, 1980), Democratic Individuality (Cambridge, 1990), Must Global Politics Constrain Democracy (1999) and Black Patriots and Loyalists: Fighting for Emancipation in the War for Independence (Chicago March, 2012).

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Sunday, October 23, 2011

Protest Obama's vacillation on\collaboration with the Keystone XL pipeline Tuesday at the University of Colorado at Denver

At the Occupy Denver march yesterday, I spoke with Glenn Morris about the fierce opposition from Pine Ridge and among native american activists to the Keystone XL pipeline. One of Hillary Clinton's former campaign workers is the lobbyist for this project and has gotten the ear of the State Department which has issued a long, dishonest report (avoiding the larger environmental consequnces entirely). Some 1500 people, led by the climate scientist James Hansen who has warned against the devastating consequences to the environment of Tar Sands production, were arrested doing civil disobedience at the White House this summer. In addition, the pipeline will poison the Ogallala Acquifer (water for 9 states including Colorado).

There is widespread opposition in Nebraska (athletic director Tom Osbourne reversed himself, after wide booing, in advertizing this project at Nebraska football games). But as Glenn suggested, many are about to find out about eminent domain - something that native americans have long and more horribly experienced - if the pipeline is not stopped. During his campaign, Obama promised to do the right thing on these issues. But here is a very clear choice and he is silent (considering the pay, the lobbying).

Obama is in Colorado to speak of the American Jobs Act. This act would be good, though hardly enough (it would decrease the unemployment rate by roughly one per cent, some millions of people, if it were enacted). As opposed to the Republicans who are against jobs for the nearly 20% of Americans actually unemployed - the "Republicans" are the authoritarian party of the 1% - and some Democrats, this is good. Yet what Obama plans to do about this pipeline, unless stopped, like much of his war policy, for example, drones in Pakistan, is a great horror. The virtue of the Occupy movements has been to make clear that Obama's corruption as head of the Empire is not acceptable. This demonstration drives that point home with particular force. It deserves all of our support.

Show Obama: Indigenous Resistance to the Oil Sands Oct 25, Denver

Colorado AIM endorses, and will participate actively in, the rally below when Obama is in town next week. See here.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 25, assemble @ 1:45pmWHERE: Tivoli Commons on Auraria Campus (900 Auraria Pkwy, Denver, 80204)WHY: TransCanada has proposed a pipeline, the Keystone XL pipeline to come down from the Alberta Tar Sands (the largest industrial project on earth) to Texas, passing many states, at least five reservations and the Ogallala Aquifer which serves water to eight states. The State Department and Obama are sitting on the pipeline proposal right now and will be approving/denying it in November. We will remind Obama of his 2008 campaign promises, we will remind him that We, the People, are concerned over the oil sands and the pipeline, over our land and water that our next generations must depend on, too. Thomas Poor Bear, the Vice President from the Oglala Sioux Tribe will be bringing a delegation from the Pine Ridge Reservation to join in this struggle, and we hope you will join, too.